Separatists denounce 'farcical' Chechen poll

Chechnya voted for a parliament yesterday in the Kremlin's latest attempt to pacify the war-torn republic. The ruling United Russia party was expected to win a majority in the first parliamentary election since Russian troops reoccupied the region six years ago.

Analysts say the vote is aimed at cementing the power of Ramzan Kadyrov, 28, the son of the assassinated president, Akhmed Kadyrov. After casting his vote, Mr Kadyrov told the Interfax news agency that the once-separatist republic was "evolving into a fully fledged member of the Russian Federation".

Election officials said turnout could have been as high as 70%, but the pro-independence Kavkaz Center website claimed a figure of 5% to 7% and denounced the elections as "the latest farce".

More than 24,000 police and troops provided tight security during the vote. Chechnya is still beset by violence, with rebel fighters launching regular attacks on government troops and police. Martial law is still in force, and before the election human rights groups said a free vote would be impossible.

A senior policeman in Grozny said the vote had been decided beforehand and warned it could usher in a period of civil war as Mr Kadyrov moves to assert his complete control over armed groups which support Russian rule.

A broad array of candidates campaigned for 58 seats in the two-chamber parliament, including Mogamed Khambiyev who served as defence minister during brief independence from 1997 to 1999 and who was still fighting alongside separatist militants 18 months ago.

He said: "Today there is madness in Chechnya, but I want to use political means, not arms, to fight it. Our first task is to stop the war here."

Mr Khambiyev's cousin was abducted in 2002 and his whereabouts remains unknown. But he denied he had been pressured into running. "These elections were of course free and honest," he said.

But many local residents remain resentful and doubted the vote could lead to any improvements in their lives. Near a polling station in the village of Assinovskaya, Marina Makhchiyeva, 59, said she planned to vote, but added: "Nothing is going to change. This is Chechnya, nothing ever changes."